Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of text messages (currently up to 160 characters for SMS, though this could change in the future) between fixed line, mobile phone devices or mobile communication devices. Current communication protocols used to deliver such services include GSM, CDMA, GPRS; 3G networks such as W-CDMA, EDGE or CDMA2000 and 4G networks, though additional protocols and networks may be implemented. Text messaging is a widely used communications service provided by wireless carriers (e.g. U.S. Cellular), communication companies (e.g. AT&T) and mobile app companies (e.g. Whatsapp, KiK).
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content (images, video, etc.) to and from mobile phones and mobile communication devices. It extends the core SMS (Short Message Service) capability that currently allows exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length. A popular use of MMS is to send photographs from camera-equipped handsets, although it is also popular as a method of delivering news and entertainment content including videos, pictures, text pages and ringtones. The standard is developed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), although during development it was part of the 3GPP and WAP groups.
Text messages, images (pictures), video and audio can be transmitted using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other wireless technology over the Internet and without use of cellular communication infrastructure. As such, SMS and MMS are emulated by mobile applications (“Mobile Apps”) that provide this type of functionality. Additional functionality such as audio, video and audio/video content can be transmitted and received with these types of Mobile Apps.
Though electronic messaging such as, but not limited to, SMS, MMS and text messaging (i.e. via mobile apps) has been widely adopted and has proven very useful, the inherent dangers of electronic messaging and related communications such as cyber-bullying, the transmission and receiving of sexual images (“sexting”) and other inappropriate or other targeted content have been well publicized. The present inventor has recognized that the need to monitor these types of communications during cell phone (more specifically, what is commonly referred to as a “smartphone”) or mobile communication device use is becoming increasingly more important.
Other growing issues related to the private usage of mobile communications devices such as, but not limited to, laptop computers, tablet PCs (tablet computer), gaming devices, cell phones, PDAs (Personal Data Assistants) and other communication devices is with unsolicited contact by predators to children, facilitation of illegal drug and alcohol activities, and the malicious broadcasting of content intended to be private. Due to the portability of mobile communications devices such as cell phones, children (and people) have regular opportunities to engage in electronic messaging such as text message exchanges that have inappropriate or illegal content unbeknownst to their parents.
Many parents and guardians that have children with mobile communication devices (e.g. cell phones or other devices that enable text messaging) are interested in protecting their children from the inherent dangers and ramifications associated with inappropriate or undesirable text messaging communications described herein. However, the present inventor has recognized that such parents or guardians are unable to easily or effectively monitor the content being transmitted and received on their children's cell phones or other devices that enable text messaging and electronic communications. This is due in part to the lack of transparency, anonymity and the mobile nature of cell phones and other hand-held (mobile) communication devices.
Text messages, images, video and audio can also be transmitted and received directly over the Internet using a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or via other technologies that enables mobile communication devices to connect wirelessly to the Internet. To this end, mobile applications (mobile apps) now exist that emulate SMS and MMS functionality.
In general, it has been recognized that users (e.g. parents, guardians and family member) of mobile communication devices (for example but not limited to SMS and MMS messages communicated via a handheld smartphone such as a BlackBerry, iPhone, cellular phone running an Android operating system or another portable computing device capable of receiving and/or sending wireless communications) face concerns regarding various aspects of communications to/from such mobile communication devices. Examples of this include the appropriateness, inappropriateness, safety and legality of such communications. For example, people (such as parents or guardians of children) may be concerned about the language, the meaning of acronyms, the meaning of short hand, content, pictures and/or elements included in the child communications.
Some example systems and methods of the present invention address one or more of these concerns by providing preferably near real-time monitoring of text messaging to address these and other related problems and issues.